Abstract  

The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF), a Bangalore-based Indian non-governmental organization, is hailed globally for running the ‘'the world's largest school meal programme'’. It has grown from serving five schools in Bangalore in June 2000 (1,500 children) a day to its current operations of 19 locations in nine Indian states, providing lunch meals to approximately 1.5 million school children every day. This case looks at the operations of one of its larger kitchens, which is located at Vasanthapura in Bangalore. It describes the complete range of activities: procurement, pre-processing, cooking, and finally packaging and dispatch, at this center. The case is rich in data and helps generate discussions around the material planning, procurement, and production planning activities at this kitchen.

Learning Objective

The case can be used to introduce and discuss hierarchical planning, starting at the aggregate level through master production schedule to detail level material requirements planning. The setting in a kitchen used for cooking mass food with limited and restricted variety is unique